Machine for casting grids



(No Model.) '7 Sheeis-Sheet 1.

- A. F. MADDEN.

MACHINE FOR CASTING GRIDS.

No. 460,933. Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

WITNESSES L3 is INVENTU Jladduo (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. F. MADDEN.

MACHINE FOR CASTING GRIDS.

No. 460,933. Patented (m. 6, 1891.

Eli-151- u Hum \NlTNESSES: |N\/ENTUF\Z (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. P. MADDEN.

MACHINE FOR GASTING GRIDS.

' No. 460,933. Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

*2 s WlTNESEEE \N\/ENTEIF\ 1' 2 warns rz'rsns co., moTu-uruu, wAsmNuToN,a. c.

7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

A. F. MADDEN.

MACHINE FOR CASTING GRIDS.

No. 460.933. Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

WITNESSES |N\/ENTDF\ dmmw.

7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

A. F. MADDEN. MACHINE FOR CASTING GRIDS.

No. 460,933. Patented Oot.6, 1891.

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INVENTU WITNESSES (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet s.

A. F. MADDEN.

MAGHINE FOR CASTING GRIDS- No. 460,933. Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

(No Model.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 7. A. F. MADDEN. MAGHINE FOR CASTING GRIDS.

Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

UUUUDDDDDDDU UUDDDDUUUD UUUDUDUDDUEI UUUDUUUUUHBUUUUU DUUUUUDDUUUJUD UUDUDUUUDDUUDUITU UUUDUDUDDDDUUUDU UUDUUDDUUUDDDDUU DUUUUUUUUDUDUDUUUDUDUDUUUUDUUDUU WITNESSES UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT FRANKLIBMADDEN, OF NE\VARK, NE\V JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR CASTING GRIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,933, dated October6,1891.

Application filed May 25, 1891.

To (bZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT FRANKLIN hIAD' DEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinesfor Making Grids for Secondary Batteries; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invent-ion relates to certain new and useful improvements inmachines for making grids for secondary batteries, and has for itsobjects, first, to utilize in the formation of the grid the pasty leadwhich collects in the melting-pot and is called putty lead, and whichhas been heretofore considered as highly objectionable and a hinderanceto the process of casting; second, to force the lead into the mold by arolling process as contradistinguished from simple casting; third, toprovide means novel in construction and method of operation for theheating of the lead and r the maintenance thereof at the proper workingtemperature; fourth, to provide a novel construction of mold in whichthe grid is shaped, and, fifth and in general, to provide a machinewhich shallbe simple in construction and easy of operation; and withthese ends in view my invention consists and resides in the novelfeatures heretofore men tioned and hereinafter to be described indetail, and then recited in the claims, and in the method of forminggrids presently to be pointed out, and also incorporated in the claims.

In order that such persons as are skilled in the art to which myinvention appertains may be able to fully understand my improvedmachine'and the method which forms a part of my invention, I will nowdescribe these, referring to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, and to the numerals of reference marked uponsaid drawings.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through my machine, certainparts being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan View, the top of thecrucible being removed and the blast connections likewise removed. Fig.3 is a vertical section taken upon the line y Serial No. 394,010. (Nomodel.)

3 6f Fig. 1. Fig. at is an enlarged sectional elevation of the partsshown at the center of Fig. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation ofthe parts shown at the center of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view ofthe mold and the plate in which said form is set. Figs. 7 and 8 aresections taken, respectively, upon the lines 7; L and w w of Fig. 6.Fig. 9 is a detail perspective showing the movable parts of the mold,the stationary bars being omitted for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 11 is a perspective of one of the stationary mold-bars. Figs. 4, 5,6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are enlarged about four times from the scale ofthe first three figures.

In the drawings the number of parts of the mold have purposely beenreduced below that necessary to make merchantable grids, Fig. 10, forinstance, showing the grid-openings about half their proper number andtwice their normal size.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, 1 is a base upon whichare mounted side plates or standards 2. At one end is a pillar 3, havingin its top a bearing in which is mounted a horizontal transverse shaft4. Near one end this shaft is provided with a gear 5 and at the otherend with a crank 6. The gear 5 is engaged and driven by means of a worm7, mounted on a shaft 8, whose 4 axis is at right angles to that of theshaft 1,

and said shaft 8 bears a band-wheel 9, whereby it may be driven. Thecrank (3 drives a connecting-rod 10, whose forward end is con nected toand is adapted to operate ,a carriage presently to be described indetail. Upon the tops of the side plates 2 is supported a fixed top 11,whose lower face is plane and which is adapted to support certain partsof the machine.

1 2 is a crucible supported within a jacket 13, which latter is set uponthe top 11, heretofore referred to. Its outlet 141- is controlled bymeans of a plug 15, and by means of a short pipe said outlet isconnected with a chamber 16, substantially square in plan view and shownin longitudinal section in Fig. 5. This chamber is formed as to itslower part in the top 11 and is completed by means of a cover 17,suitably secured thereon.

18 and 19 are pipes ad aptedto convey gas and Fig. 10 is a plan view ofa grid as removed from the mold.

air to compound blow-pipe burners 20, three in number, which open into atubular heater 21, mounted Within the chamber 16. This heater, as seenat Figs. 2 and 5, is in triplicate as to the part where the fiame entersfrom the burners; but its three tubes at the other end thereof open intoa common outlet 22, which projects upward through the cover 17 anddischarges against the bottom of the crucible 12 inside its jacket. Thefunction of this heater is to keep the contents of the chamber 16 at theproper temperature for the making of the grids and at the same time toretain the metal in the cruciblein a'fiuid state, so that it may feeddownward freely into,the chamber 16.-as fast as the metal in the latteris used. 51 n the cover of :this chamber is a mica-covered.opening.23,by means of which .the condition of the interior of thechamber may be observed. .Journaled transversely in this chamberimmediately beneath the tuyere and at oneend of the heater is a roller2t,

wmounted upon a shaft 25, said shaftbei-ng driven at a constant rate ofspeed by asprockzs et-chain -26,driven from the shaft 4.

loweredge of this roller is in substantially [the-same horizontalplane-with the lower surfaceof the top 11, and its function will bepresently explained.

Th e

The carriage heretofore referred to is more particularly shownatFigs.land 3. Itis denoted by-27 and is gibbed to the base in such manner astov give it an accurately-guided longitudinal movement from theconnectingrod "10. The top'plate of this carriage fits closely againstthebottom plane surface of the part 11 and closes the bottom of thechamber 16, as will be readily'understood from a'n inspection of Figs.1-, 3,'and 5.

.28 are openings cored in the top of the carriage for the purpose oflightening the'construction, and 29 are similar openings in the part 11.Any orall of these maybe provided with connections for the purpose ofapplying hotair or'cold air or water for affecting the temperatureand-fluidity of the lead. The

7 flat top plate of the carriage I designate by the 'numeral 30. Nearits center said plate 30::is provided with a square opening,'whose shapemay be readily seen at Figs. 5 and 6. Vithin this opening is placed themold in which the grids-are made. In the first place this mold consistsof a series of mold-bars 31,

whose slightly-extended ends 32 are seated in offsets in the opening inthe plate. Each of these bars is transversely slotted :at regularintervals, so that its top is provided with a -number of squareprojections, which are bered 34. Set between these mold-bars are aseries of thin ejector-plates 35. They are strung upon a shaft 36' andare separated by washers 37, whose thickness is substantially thethickness of the mold-bars from side to side. Each ejector-plate has invits upper surface a series of notches or seats 38, whose lower ends areslightly enlarged,and in these are held a series of partition-strips ortransverse ejectors 39, whose lower edges are enlarged to fit thenotches in the ejector-plates. The ejector-plates, their washers, andthe partition-strips are shown in their assembled position atFig.9,wherel have omitted the permanent and fixed bars for clearness ofillustration. In placing the parts in this assembled position themold-bars are first set in place, then the ejector-plates are pushed upbetween themold-bars from beneatlnwvith are carried by theejector-plates and*co operate with two plane moldbars4l in the formationof the-solid rim or edgearound the'grid. When these parts are'assembled,it will be observed that all parts of the mold'except the stationaryformer-barsare attached to and carried by the ejector-plates. Thismovement is permitted to the transverse ejectors byreason of the factthat while they are seated fast in the ejector-plates they pass throughthe enlarged slots in the mold-bars,and may thus have a limited verticalmovement relative thereto, as will be seen by a comparison. of Figs. 7and 8. A tightening device consisting of set-screws 42 is shown at Fig.6. This is immaterial, except that it serves as a convenient means foradjusting the parts trans- 'versely to the length of the mold-bars.

As has heretofore been-stated, the ejector plates and the washers arestrung upon the shaft 36. This shaft,which is properly-alarge bolt, isconnected by a yoked link 43 with a shaft 44, which latter extendsbetween a pair of levers 45, journaled to the carriage. The link justreferred to is connected to'thelevers eccentric to the journal of thelatter, as may be seen at Fig. 1, and this eccentricity is sufficient toimpart to the ejector pla-tes a Vertical movement in their bearingsbetween the bars when the levers are rocked upon their fulcrum. Themovement of the-levers I prefer to effect by means of cams 46, securedupon the bed in line with rollers 47, which the link.

Referring particularly to Figs'l and 2,48 is a planer-tool journaled inbearings at the end of the part 11 and adapted to be depressed by meansof the lever 19 and the connecting-rod 50, which latter is connected tothe lever 51, engaged by a face-cam 52 on the shaft 4:. The upper end oflever at?) is pro vided with any suitable means whereby the movementimparted by said lever to the planer-tool may be regulated. In Fig. 1this is shown as consisting of a set-screw but this is an immaterialdetail of construction. The operation of this planer or surfacingtoolwill be presently explained.

In the operation of my invention the crucible 12 is first filled whollyor in part with lead and the heater started. The flame issn ing from theheater beneath the crucible will melt the lead in the latter, whereuponthe molten metal will flow downward through the outlet and fill thechamber 16 around the heater and the roller 24. The bottom of thechamber is closed by the top of the carriage, so that either the planesurface of said top or the mold which is set in said top is opposite thebottom of said chamber and in contact with the lead. The carriage has amovement beneath the chamber equal to twice the radius of the crank, andthis movement by bringing difterent parts of the top in contact with thelead, tends to chill the lowermost stratum of the molten metal andthereby decrease its fluidity. This has heretofore been a greatdisadvantage in machines dependent upon the ordinary method of casting,since the chilled or putty lead is thick and does not readily flow intoand fill the mold. I have shown this stratum of thickened lead by a fewheavily-dotted lines at the center of Fig. 5. Suppose the parts to be inthe position shown at Fig. 1. At this time the righthand end of theoperating-lever 45 is raised upon the cam, and the several partsconstituting the form are in the position in which they are shown atFig. 7that is to say, the ejector-plates and the partition-strips arewithdrawn to their downward limit of movement. Therefore the spacesbetween the mold-bars and the transverse notchesin said mold-bars areopen to and in contact with the lead as far down as the plane of the topof the ejector-plates and the transverse partition-strips. From thisposition and by means of the rotation of the shaft 4 the carriage ismoved upon its ways, thereby carrying the mold out from under the bottomof the chamher. At the same time the roller 23 is revolving at auniformrate of speed by means of the sprocket-chain The open surface of themold may partially fill and in its movement will carry withit aconsiderable amount of the pasty thick lead at the bottom of thechamber, and as said mold passes underneath the roller this lead will berolled solidly into the interstices of the mold, thereby forming a gridof great solidity and of a most homogeneous character. As the moldclears the bottom of the chamber, the lead within said mold is roughlyseparated from the mass within the chamber by means of the oblique edge53, (shown at Fig. 5;) but as soon as the carriage passes into the fieldof the planertool 48 the latter is caused to operate in proper time byits cam and connecting-rod and to engage and accurately surface the gridas it lies in the mold. Vhen the stroke of the crank has projected thecarriage out-- ward until the mold has cleared the planertool therollers 47, upon the left-hand ends of the levers, will ride upon thecams 46 and through the links lift the ejector-platesand thepartitionstrips upward relative to the formerbars and thereby eject thefinished grid from between said former-bars. From its position upon thetop of the carriage said grid may be either removed by hand or by anysuitable conveyer mechanism. The crank at this time passes its centerand commences to withdraw the carriage toward the position shown atFig. 1. During its backward stroke the ejector-plates and thepartition-strips remain in their raised position until the right-handrollers upon the levers reach and ride upon the cams 46, at which timethe movable parts of the mold will be drawn downward to the positionshown at Fig. 1, and particularly in the enlarged view, Fig. 7. By therotation of the shaft a the reciprocatory motion of the carriage iscontinued, each forward movement rolling the lead into the mold andsurfacing the grid and then ejecting the same from the mold, and eachbackward movement returning the mold beneath the lead-filled chamber andwithdrawing the movable parts of the mold to the position required toadmit the metal into it.

In a properly-constructed secondary battery the positiveand negativeplates should vary in thickness, and I propose to manufactu re boththicknesses upon the machine herein described by varying the throw ofthe movable parts of the mold. This may most easily be done by usingrollers of different diameters upon those ends of the levers 45 by whichthe downward withdrawal of the ejector-plates and their attached partsis effected. These are shown at the right hand of Fig. 1. As it isdesired in the ejecting movement to raise the finished grid clear of themold, the rollers which effect this movement and which are shown at theleft-hand levers in Fig. 1 may remain the same for both thicknesses ofgrids.

\Vhile the roller in conjunction with the other mechanism hereindescribed is competent to fill the mold completely with the putty lead,at the same time, if the lower stratum be sufficiently fluid to enterthe form by its own weight and partially fill the same, the roller willforce intoit such additional lead as maybe required to complete the gridand will solidify the whole, and this whether the metal be of greater orless fluidity.

I claim- 1. The process of making grids for secondary batteries, whichconsists in placing a suitably-recessed mold in communication with a'superincum-bent body of molten metaland simultaneously-therewithsubjectingsuccessive portions of the metal to the pressure of a rollerWithin the body of -metal,-'Whereby metal front the massis driven intothe mold'cavities,-

' substautially'as and for the purpose speci-fied.

fZbThe' combinationywith thecarriageha'ving the-mold arranged thereinand-means for effecting, its reciprocating movements, of theopen-bottomed metal chamber, means "for heati ng it, and a rollerjournaled in said'cha'mber-With its "lowersurface in the-same plane withthetop of the mold; substantially asdescribed.

The combination, With the carriage having a mo1d-andmeans foroperatingsaidjoarria,. :e, of the open bottomed chamber, means heatingthe same, the'roller revolving in the"chamberand -adapted to force themetal intothe' mold, andasurfacingtool'behind 1 the roller inthei'plan'e of the upper surface of open-bo'ttomedchambeigof the tubularheater seated in said chamber'and'having two or more separate inletsprovided 'With'burners, an outlet; and a crucible-arranged above saidoutlet in the' path of the issuing heat and 0011- nected to the chamber,substantially as do scribed.

. 6. The combination ,wit'h the mold, of the open bottomed lea'dchamber, the tubular heater-provided with burners andseated in saidchamber,a roller journa-led in said chamber inposition to act upon themetal therein,

means for operating said roller, and mechan- 'ism for the reciprocationof the mold.

7. In a machine of the charaoterdescribed,

the open-bottomed lead-containing chamber an'da 'roller j ournaledin'said chamber in positiou' to -act upon the metal therein,incombination "Wit-l1 the-mold 'consisting'of the stationa'ry'barsmovable parts arranged between said bars, means for moving the moldbodily relative to the'lead-chamber,--and additional means for actuatingthe movable parts of the mold, substantially as described.

8. -In a machineof the character-described,

a 'mold'consisting eta-series of fixed bars provided with transversenotches, in 'combinatiomwith a series of ejector-pla-tesseated betweenthe'fixedbars; transverseejector-strips 'passi ngthrough theejector-plates and the notches in the fixed bars an'd movablewvith saidej ector p'lates;and means for reciprocating-sa-id ejector'plates and-strips,"substantially as described.

"9. The combinationof the bars 31, having transverse notches 33,provided with the eulargedportions 34, the notched ejector-plates 35,lying between the bars, the ejector-strips 39,seate'd in and carried bythe ejector-plates and passing through and movable in the notches of'thefixed barsyand means for operating said plates and strips, substantiallyas described.

10. Ina machine of the'characterdescribed, the combination, with thefixed bars having transverse notches, of a series of ejector-platesbetween and parallel with said bars, transverse ejector-strips havingenlarged lower edges at right angles to the length of said bars andsecured to and carried by the ejector-plat'es, and means forreciprocating said plates and strips, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimonywhereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT FRANKLIN MADDEN.

Witnesses:

SHERMAN HARTWELL HUBBARD, l\IINNA C. HINOHCLIFFE.

